Healing Thresholds Autism Therapy Topic Feed

Speech and Language Therapy for Children with Autism

PWSMom — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:44:15 +0000

Body:

What is it?

The goal of speech therapy is to improve all aspects of communication. This includes: comprehension, expression, sound production, and social use of language ⁽¹⁾. Speech therapy may include sign language and the use of picture symbols ⁽²⁾. At its best, a specific speech therapy program is tailored to the specific weaknesses and the environment of the individual child ^{(1, 3)}. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to create a child-specific, evolving, long-term speech therapy plan ^{(1 , 4)}.

The National Research Council describes four aspects of beneficial speech therapy.

Speech therapy should begin early in a child's life and be frequent.
Therapy should be rooted in practical experience in the child's life.
Therapy should encourage spontaneous communication.
Any communication skills learned during speech therapy should be generalizable to multiple situations ⁽⁵⁾.

Thus, any speech therapy program should include practice in many different places with many different people ⁽²⁾. In order for speech therapy to be most successful, caregivers should practice speech exercises during normal daily routines in the home, school, and community ^{(1 , 6, 7)}. Speech therapists can give specific examples of how best to incorporate speech therapy throughout a child's day ⁽⁸⁾.

What's it like?

Speech therapy sessions will vary greatly depending upon the child. If the child is younger than three years old, then the speech therapist will most likely come into the home for a one-hour session. If the child is older than three, then therapy sessions will occur at school or in the therapist’s office. If the child is school age, expect that speech therapy will include one-on-one time with the child, classroom-based activities, and consultations between the speech therapist and teachers and parents ⁽²⁾.

The sessions should be designed to engage the child in communication. The therapist will engage the child using games and toys chosen specifically for the child. Several different speech therapy techniques and approaches can be used in a single session or throughout many sessions (see Does it work?).

Speech and language therapy may include tools and strategies called augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). These tools can be very helpful for children with little or no verbal communication skills. For example, a picture exchange communication system (or PECS; http://www.pecs.org.uk/) allows the child to communicate using pictures. Go to our PECS Fact Sheet for more information.

What is the theory behind it?

Children with autism not only may have trouble communicating socially, but may also have problems behaving. These behavioral problems are believed to be at least partially caused by the frustration associated with the inability to communicate. Speech therapy is intended to improve social communication skills, and teach the ability to use those communication skills as an alternative to unacceptable behavior ⁽¹⁾.

Does it work?

Many scientific studies demonstrate that speech therapy is able to improve the communication skills of children with autism ⁽¹⁾. Parents reported improvements in social play, confidence, and behavior at home and at school with speech therapy ⁽⁹⁾. The most successful approaches to speech therapy include components of early identification, family involvement, and individualized treatment ⁽⁸⁾.

There are many different approaches to speech therapy and most of them are effective. The table below lists some of the different approaches. In most cases a speech therapist will use a combination of approaches in a program.

Type of Speech Therapy	Definition	Does the Research Support It?
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)	broad term for forms of communication that supplement or enhance speech, including electronic devices, picture boards, and sign language	Yes ⁽¹⁰⁾
Discrete trial training	therapy that focuses on behavior and actions	Yes ⁽¹⁾
Facilitated communication	communication technique that involves a facilitator who places his hand over the patient's hand, arm or wrist, which is placed on a board or keyboard with letters, words or pictures	No ^{(1, 4)}
Functional communication training (FCT)	use of positive reinforcement to motivate the child to communicate	Yes ⁽¹¹⁾
Generalized imitation	child is encouraged to mimic the therapists mouth motions before attempting to make the sound	Yes ⁽¹²⁾
Mand training	use of prompts and reinforcements of independent requests for items (referred to as mands)	Yes ⁽¹²⁾
Motivational techniques	therapy techniques that focus on following the child's lead and capitalize on the child's desire to respond	Yes ⁽⁶⁾
Peer mentors/circle of friends	use of children who are trained to interact with the autistic child throughout the day	Yes ⁽⁸⁾
Picture exchange communication system (PECS)	a type of AAC that uses picture symbols to communicate (see PECS Fact Sheet)	Yes ⁽¹⁰⁾
Relationship development intervention (RDI)	trademarked treatment program that centers on the belief that individuals with autism can participate in authentic emotional relationships if they are exposed to them in a gradual, systematic way	Yes ⁽⁸⁾
Sign language/total communication	language of hand shapes, movements, and facial expressions (especially useful for ages 0 to 3)	Yes ⁽¹⁾
Story scripts/social stories	actual stories that can be used or adapted to teach social skills	Yes ^{(1, 8)}

Is it harmful?

There are no reports of speech therapy being harmful.

Cost

The cost of speech therapy is covered by the government through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004. The amount of speech therapy provided in this setting may be suboptimal and thus should be supplemented with private therapy. Private speech therapy can be expensive (approximately $100/hour or more)

Speech therapy requires parental investment of time. In order to be most effective, parents may need to be fully integrated into the therapy program and should seek out opportunities to practice communication throughout the daily routine ⁽⁷⁾. With time, this should become a new way of life.

Resources

Healing Thresholds has partnered with Natural Learning Concepts. They have many tools to help children build their vocabulary.

Healing Thresholds has also partnered with Discount School Supply. Discount School Supply sells toys such as the “How Do You Feel?” Play and Learn Chart that can be used with older children to help them learn to describe feelings.

Signing Time is one of many companies selling systems that help to teach children sign language.

Autism is a condition covered under the IDEA of 2004. Services covered by IDEA include early identification and assessment by an occupational therapist. This law protects the rights of patients with autism and provides guidelines to assist in their education. It covers children from birth to age 21 (U.S. Department of Education).

Pediatricians can provide contact information for the state early intervention program (for children 0 to 3 years old). There is a listing on this Web site for state early intervention centers. School districts can coordinate special services for children 3 to 21 years old.

Several articles and books that might be useful:

Principles for speech-language pathologists in diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of autism spectrum disorders across the life span: Technical report by American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2006). Available from http://www.asha.org/docs/html/TR2006-00143.html. 2006.

Social and Communication Development in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Early Identification, Diagnosis, and Intervention by T. Charman and W. Stone. 2006. The Guilford Press, pp. 115-266.

Enhancing Early Language in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders by R. Paul and D. Sutherland. In Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Two Volume Set. 2005. John Wiley & Sons, pp. 977-1002.

Improving Speech and Eating Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders – An Oral Motor Program for Home and School by M.A. Flanagan. 2008. Autism Asperger Publishing Company.

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References

Helping a Child with Autism Make Friends

scottie — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Lisa Jo Rudy, the autism columnist at About.com, recently answered a reader’s question about helping a child with autism make friends.

Body:

Lisa Jo Rudy, the autism columnist at About.com, recently answered a reader’s question about helping a child with autism make friends. Rudy suggested that children with autism may suffer from sensory integration issues, making it difficult to communicate and interact. Therapies that Rudy suggests include: sensory integration therapy, generally offered by occupational therapists; Floortime/RDI/Play therapy, which help a child build relationships; and speech therapy, which can help the child understand and communicate with other children. In addition, camp situations and extracurricular activities that involve the child in non-threatening ways, such as swimming or horseback riding, can be useful.

Read original article: How to Help a Child with Autism Take Part and Make Friends

Arizona State University Offers Speech and Language Certificate Program to Fill a Need for Therapists in Public Schools

scottie — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:57:05 +0000

Teaser:

In Arizona, as in a number of states, the children with autism and special needs require more speech and language pathologists than are available.

Body:

In Arizona, as in a number of states, the children with autism and special needs require more speech and language pathologists than are available. Arizona State University’s (ASU) Speech and Hearing Department is implementing a program that grants certification to its undergraduates – Speech and Language Pathologist Assistants (SLPA). SLPAs will be allowed to work in the classroom while supervised by a fully qualified speech pathologist. The hopes are that the SLPAs will eventually get their masters degree and become fully licensed. ASU students are eager to begin working with children in schools, hositals, and clinics. Cathy Bacon, a clinical associate professor in the program states “Our undergraduate program already provides a rigorous basic scientific background to understand the fundamental processes and disorders and disease of speech, language and hearing. This certificate program will provide clinical training and coursework to allow undergrads to practice in the field prior to pursuing a master’s degree.”

Read original article: Speech Certification Program Addresses State Shortage

Rumah Autis in Jakarta Offers Autism Therapies to Low Income Families

scottie — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Rumah Autis (Home for the Autistic) in Jakarta Indonesia offers autism treatment to children of low-income families.

Body:

Rumah Autis (Home for the Autistic) in Jakarta, Indonesia offers autism treatment to children of low-income families. Therapies include applied behavior analysis (ABA), sensory integration, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. The Cahaya Keluarga Fitrah Foundation (CAGAR) runs the center. While financially stable families help subsidize the costs, many parents pay on a sliding scale. If families cannot pay, they can trade services such as cooking lunch for the students, or cleaning the therapy rooms to pay their child’s tuition.

Read original article: Rumah Autis Offers Low-Cost Treatment to Needy Kids

Therapeutic Camps Offer Valuable Summer Activities for Children with Autism

scottie — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Therapeutic summer camps are on the rise for children with autism and other developmental delays.

Body:

Therapeutic summer camps are on the rise for children with autism and other developmental delays. In the DC area, Basic Concepts, is a summer camp that is staffed by occupational therapy, speech therapy, and play therapists. Children are able to keep their basic skills over the summer as well as learn new ones in a fun atmosphere. Kids receive academic as well as social skills training, and they learn basic life skills such as cooking. One resource for finding a summer camp for your child is, MySummerCamps.com, one of the largest online camp directories.

Read original article: For Kids with Special Needs, Camp Comes with Valuable Therapy, Higher Price Tag

Concorde Kids Provides Multidisciplinary Pediatric Therapies

scottie — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Concorde Kids, in Canton Ohio, provides multidisciplinary pediatric therapies for children with autism and other developmental and physical disabilities.

Body:

Concorde Kids, in Canton Ohio, provides multidisciplinary pediatric therapies for children with autism and other developmental and physical disabilities. Concorde Kids integrates sensory integration, physical therapy, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy in a one-on-one setting. Janet Murphy, the owner, says that most of the kids who attend the center are referred by doctors and parents of other children. Concorde is offering two summer camps: one for handwriting skills; and one called “mind your manners”. They serve children up to the age of 13.

Read original article: Concorde Kids Offers Pediatric Therapy, Summer Camps for Children

A Summer of Transition for Kids with Autism

scottie — Mon, 31 May 2010 21:30:37 +0000

Teaser:

Dr. Jennifer Symon, who works with teachers, speech therapists, and other special needs educators, explores some ways to help a child with autism transition from one school year to the next.

Body:

Dr. Jennifer Symon, who works with teachers, speech therapists, and other special needs educators, explores some ways to help a child with autism transition from one school year to the next. She shares some tips on using time in the summer to prepare your child for the following fall. First, talk with the current teacher to find out how the child learns best – be it with a picture schedule or behavioral program – and utilize that over the summer and share it with next year’s teacher. Next, meet with next year’s. Find out how she likes to work with children with autism and discuss any special needs connected with your child; keep her informed over the summer of your child’s activities. Try to meet some of the other parents and allow the children time to get to know each other other; meet at the park, for lunch, or have a group art project where everyone can participate. Finally, prepare your child. Visit the new classroom, create a photo book of places around the school, such as the lunch room or library. If you can, share with your child some of the lessons and activities he will be learning.

Read original article: Handling the End of School Transition for your Child with Autism

Social Thinking to Help Kids with Autism

scottie — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Laura Shumaker, writer and mother of a 23-year old son with autism, was asked to help her son meet some “nice girls”.

Body:

Laura Shumaker, writer and mother of a 23-year old son with autism, was asked by her son to help him meet some “nice girls”. She decided to interview Michelle Garcia Winner, an expert in the field of social relations and children with autism. Winner describes her work as Social Thinking—a way to observe ourselves and others as we move through various social situations and consider what we would like the outcomes to be. Winner began considering the concept of Social Thinking while she was a speech and language pathologist, “to teach students, who have social-cognitive learning challenges (those with high-functioning autism, Asperger syndrome, ADHD, nonverbal learning disability or those still undiagnosed) how to think socially to help guide which social skills they can choose to use in varying situations."

Read original article: Autism and Aspergers: Helping our Kids Figure out the "Social" World

Improving Social Initiations in Young Children with Autism Using Reinforcers with Embedded Social Interactions

scottie — Thu, 06 May 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Title	Improving Social Initiations in Young Children with Autism Using Reinforcers with Embedded Social Interactions
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Koegel, RL, Vernon TW, Koegel LK
Journal Title	J Autism Dev Disord
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	39
Issue	9
Pages	1240-1251
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19357942
Teaser	Children with autism who are rewarded with social interactions during therapy may learn to seek out and initiate social interactions.
Full Text	Children with autism who are rewarded with social interactions during therapy may learn to seek out and initiate social interactions. The purpose of this study was to see if social exchange could be used to as a reinforcer during speech therapy. This means that rather than giving a reward, the therapist provides social exchange as the reward. The data show that speech therapy sessions with social exchanges helped the child to be more engaged and have higher affect ratings. The authors hope that teaching social exchange will also improve speech and behavior. They also hope that helping children to learn to connect with the therapist will help the child learn to connect with other children.

Speech and Language Pathology and Autistic Spectrum

scottie — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:38:05 +0000

Title	Speech and Language Pathology and Autistic Spectrum
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Carduso, C, Montenegro MS
Journal Title	The Spanish Journal of Psychology
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	12
Issue	2
Pages	686-695
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19899669
Teaser	Allowing a student with autism consistent access to the same speech therapist may help progress in speech therapy.
Full Text	Allowing a student with autism consistent access to the same speech therapist may help progress in speech therapy. The purpose of this study was to see if one form of speech therapy yielded better results than another form of speech therapy. The study had only eight children with autism spectrum disorders (ages 3 to 17 years old). The authors could not find a large difference between the speech therapy groups. The only difference that they found was that the group that had the same therapist for 12 months did slightly better than the group that changed therapists. The children in the group that changed therapists did worse at the end of therapy than they did at the start of therapy.